Aira

"As a matter of fact, tie fire boy's legs up too. He's a tricky one, make sure it's tight."

I watch as Paytah shoots Hanson the deadliest glare as one man ties his hands behind his back, and another tie his legs together. Hanson doesn't seem to mind, I think he actually enjoys this. Of course he would.

Paytah and I are on the floor of Hanson's...I don't know, lab? We are chained to the wall, sitting down. Apparently they felt the need to tie Paytah's legs as well. People are walking around everywhere, half of them in doctor suits, and the other half are guards.

"I have a question."

"Dammit Paytah, I'm very tempted to just get your death over with now-"

"You'll like this one." Paytah cuts Hanson off. He looks down at us, a smile on his face. "Okay, what."

"Why us?" He asks, and Hanson laughs. "You want the real answer? Fine." Hanson grabs a chair and sits down right in front of us.

"Aira, it was just too easy with you, to have you gain my trust. I knew fire boy would be the real problem here, so I had you convince him. Remember our talk?"

My face grows red. Paytah looks at me, devastation in his eyes.

"I told you to convince him, and here we are. Paytah, the boy who hated me from the start, and Aira, the girl who put all her trust in me." Hanson says.

"Is that true?" Paytah asks. I look at him, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"No-well, a little bit, yes-"

"I don't want to hear it." Paytah says, looking away.

"It's a great story, really-"

"I still never trusted you." Paytah once again cuts Hanson off. "Lana brought the real me back after Aira and I talked. I never trusted you, not for one sec-"

"Well, and now look?" Hanson says, and Paytah falls silent. "You're in my hands. Trust me or not, it doesn't matter anymore. Tomorrow, you'll mean nothing anymore."

"A bullet through our heads won't stop the other elements." I say, and Hanson looks at me curiously.

"Who said it was just going to be a bullet though your head? I want to have a little fun first."

Hanson stands up, pulling a gun out from his coat. My heart begins beating a million miles an hour. And it races even more as he lifts the gun up at Paytah.

And my heart stops as I hear the loud ring of a gunshot.

Blood splatters on my face, and I hear the horrid screams from a boy in serious pain. I have my eyes shut tight, not wanting to see if the boy next to me is still breathing. But as temptation takes over, I open my eyes and look.

A bullet went right through Paytah's body. His right shoulder has a hole right through it, but it fills with blood and puss quickly. Paytah's body trembles, his cries just enough to tear right through my heart. His eyes are glossy, his face turning pale already.

I'm too shocked to speak, and Paytah is too shocked to realized what just happened. Blood runs down his body, all the way down to the floor. I wipe his blood off my face, shaking myself back to reality.

"Paytah!" I shriek, but he just looks at me, a sorrowful look in his eyes, and then he looks at his wound again. I don't think Hanson hit anything serious, just a bullet right through his shoulder.

I forgot Hanson was standing over us. He lifts the gun up again.

This time pointing it right at me.

"No, wait." Paytah breaths, "shoot me instead."

Hanson looks at Paytah. "Twice? Are you sure about that?"

Paytah nods, resting his head back against the wall, his eyes shut tight.

"No, Paytah." I say, but both him and Hanson ignore me.

And I hear the gun shot once again.

This time his screams are worse. He cries out, cursing and slamming his fist against the wall. I look to see the damage.

Another hole goes right through his flesh. It went right through his side.

Shit.

Paytah grabs his side, wincing and coughing up blood at the same time. Tears rush down his face, and mine as well. Hanson walks away, without a worry about Paytah's condition. I turn so I'm facing him, and I move Paytah's hand away from his wound.

And I almost puke.

This is worse then the shoulder. Blood is gushing out like no other.

"Might go sooner then expected." Paytah breaths, sweat running down his face, a mixture of blood running down with it.

"No, you'll be okay." I say, but he looks horrible. "You didn't have to do that."

"I don't even feel it, no worries." He says. Usually I would laugh or smile, but all I can do is cry. Why would Hanson do this?

I don't know what to do. I can't help Paytah, and it kills me. I'm watching him die, and there's nothing I can do about it.

"He's getting the floor all bloody. Bring him over here." I hear Hanson say.

Well no shit, you're the one who caused this.

Guards come over to Paytah, untie his chains, and lift him up. Paytah shouts in pain, his eyes shut tight and chest heaving. They practically drag him over to Hanson. They plop him on a chair close to him, and tie up his whole body. Paytah sits there, wincing at every breath he takes. I can't imagine the pain he is feeling.

He took a bullet for me.

"He's hurting." I say, but all Hanson does is look at me and laugh. "You'll both be dead tomorrow anyway, does it matter? I'm getting sick of these kids. Take shifts to watch them at night, I'll be back tomorrow for the big day." Hanson smiles, and with that he walks out of the room. Two guards stay while the rest leave, and then it's just them and Paytah and I.

"Paytah, are you-"

"Shut up!" A guard yells, his gun pointed at me.

"I've seen better days." Paytah mumbles.

"It's late, go to sleep." A guard says, and he shuts off the light, blocking my eyes from Paytah. I can still hear him, though. He's struggling. Bad. I know that he's losing blood badly, and there's nothing he can do about it.

I can't sleep. Not when Paytah is hurt and we are going to be killed tomorrow.

I need a plan.

I need to get us out.

***

Last night was horrible.

I couldn't stand listening to Paytah struggle. I heard him coughing, gasping, and crying, and it killed me. How he's still alive, I don't know. I slept maybe one hour, and I don't think Paytah slept at all. But as Hanson comes back in the room and turns on the light, I scream.

Blood. Blood everywhere.

Paytah is covered in a deep dark red, his clothes stained so bad I don't even know what color his clothes are supposed to be. I can tell he's been coughing up blood all night, and that he's paler than ever.

"I thought for sure you'd be gone by now. Shame." Is all Hanson says. Paytah can't even say anything back, his face hangs low, his body shaking.

I can't do this. I can't watch this.

"Get it over with," I say, "please."

"With you or him?" Hanson asks.

"Don't hurt her." Paytah mumbles.

"Don't hurt me. Kill me." I say, and Hanson smiles. "Never thought you'd be so excited for this."

"I can see it." An unfamiliar voice says, and I look to my right and see her.

Paytah's mother.

Paytah looks up too, but puts his face down a second after, like he's not even surprised by her appearance. She walks up to him, and puts her hand until his chin, and forces him to look up at her.

"Don't touch him, you sick bitch." I snap, and she looks over at me and smiles. "He's my son, can't I show some affection?"

"She offered to help," Hanson says, "and also to say goodbye, I guess."

"Sir?" A guard says out of the blue.

"What?" Hanson says, annoyed.

"I think I hear somethin-"

A loud bang pierces though my eardrums, and the door slams open. My vision is blurry, I don't know what is happening at all until someone is knelt beside me, undoing my chains. I look up and see a girl. But as I look up and to my right, I see him.

Juris.

The girl unties me, and I stand up. Paytah is still tied to the chair, but the guards have him covered, their guns pointed at all of us.

"Go!" The girl screams, and Juris grabs my hand and drags me out of the room. I hear gunshots, and it makes me stop. The girl is now running out of the room too.

"Paytah!" I scream, but Juris and the girl drag me along.

"Lana and Paytah's father are going to get him, don't worry." Juris says.

Paytah's father?

We run, all the way out of the building. The girl and Juris stop, and I grab my knees with my hands, catching my breath.

"Aira."  Juris says. We both hug, and it feels so good to be out, to be free, even if it was just for a night. "Are you okay?" He asks me.

I nod. "Paytah isn't-they shot him."

"They what?" The girl asks, her eyes wide.

"Yesterday. They shot him, twice. He took a bullet for me. He's been bleeding all night."

"Shit." The girl mumbles, "hopefully he'll have the strength to run."

"Where are they?" I ask, and they both shrug.

"They should be in the room by now. Hell, they should be out by now." Juris says.

"We have problems." The girl says, and I start to worry.

Lana and Paytah haven't come out yet.

And I don't know if they ever will.

••••••

Hello!!!

Well, another chapter!! Pretty intense!!!

I hoped you didn't mind the long chapter! :) please comment what you think about this chapter! Do you think Lana will get Paytah out?

I'll give you a hint, next chapter is going to be....like one you've never read before!

Thank you!